Susan and Blaire: Chapter 6 (Patreon)

The evening at the restaurant was as pleasant as it could be. Blaire enjoyed his food, had more small talk with Susan, and even got to join her in devouring a delicious slice of chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. There were even sprinkles, some chocolate sauce, a cherry on top… THE WORKS. Blaire didn't quite remember the details, but he was pretty sure he was all but buried in the sweet treat.

It was such a delicious treat, in fact, that Blaire’s belly was full to bursting. And it didn’t take long for a sugar crash to hit; the little mouse curled up into a ball and fell asleep…

~~…~~

Blaire eventually woke up, of course. He’d completely lost track of time, or where he was. He was laying down somewhere soft, and there was a light above his head. Blaire felt his tablet clutched safely in his arms. After blinking a few times, the mouse looked around…

He was back in the cottage. Specifically, he was lying on a soft pillow on the coffee table, with Susan's purse forming a wall beside him. After focusing his ears on the near-silence, he could just barely pick up the sounds of running shower water coming from upstairs. Perhaps the cat had carried him home and placed him down somewhere to enjoy his nap, while SHE went up to wash up. Blaire's mind briefly remembered a joke about how cats usually hated water. But he gave a little yawn, turned over, and shut his eyes to continue his nap. Maybe he'd text Susan the joke later on…

There was a rattling sound somewhere below.

Blaire’s eyes bolted open, and he fumbled around to sit up. He focused his ears and shut his eyes… just in time for another rattling sound off in the distance.

What the…? Blaire carefully stood up and stepped around the pillow; his tablet stayed clutched to his chest. It sounded like it was behind the purse, so he quietly crept around to peer behind it. He didn’t see anything out of the ordinary; there was the kitchen across from the living room, with the moonlight shining through the window. The cabinets were still, the garbage can was neat and tidy, there was a shadowy figure running along the floor of the-

Blaire blinked in surprise. He hid behind the purse and watched as the figure made its way ominously across the kitchen until it stepped into the moonlight…

It was a mouse! A bigger, buffer kind than Blaire was, but a mouse all the same. They had thick, red fur, and carried a bag of tools under their arm; that was the source of the rattling noise.

Blaire scratched his head in confusion; where had this mouse come from? What was he doing here? Maybe he was scrounging for food and supplies like Blaire himself had done not too long ago? He got his answer soon enough; the red mouse crept over to a cabinet and turned back to tap his foot indignantly. Before long, another shadowy figure dashed its way across the kitchen floor, until the moonlight revealed it was another mouse.

This second mouse couldn’t have been more unlike the first; they were short, skinny, and covered in blue fur. They struggled to carry a bag in their arms as they moved to catch up with the red mouse. The red mouse said something too quiet for Blaire to hear, and the two strangers made their way toward one of the cabinets.

Blaire felt curiosity stirring in his mind in a way that he hadn’t felt in the longest time. He could hardly remember the last time he’d seen others of his kind during his travels. And there were two of them… stealing from Susan’s kitchen.

Blaire gripped his tablet as a strange feeling came over him. In the past, he might have kept their presence a secret; helped to silently hide them from the hungry eyes of lurking macros. But this was the home of a macro he'd found himself becoming friends with; someone who was kind, gentle, and very trusting. Could Blaire really just turn a blind eye while someone was taking from her?

Then again… Susan liked mice, and not just to eat. She’d evidently wanted to take care of other mice before, but when they asked to leave, the cat would reluctantly let them go. So… if she found them… really they wouldn’t have anything to worry about.

So while the two strangers were sneaking their way behind a cabinet door. Blaire picked up his tablet, turned it on, and got to work typing.

Blaire: There are other mice in your kitchen.

There wasn’t an immediate response; maybe Susan was too involved in her shower. Still, she’d likely read it soon enough… which would give Blaire some time to go see what these other mice are like.

The white-furred mouse walked down the makeshift staircase built into the side of the table (similar tables were placed all over the first floor of the cottage). Once he was on the floor, Blaire stretched his limbs and began the long walk into the kitchen.

Blaire stepped into the moonlight and kept his eyes glued to the cabinet that the other two mice had vanished into. There weren’t any mouseholes in there… at least, not when Blaire was the one sneaking around. And if there weren’t any still, that meant that those two were hiding out in there… So, how would Blaire say hello?

Blaire scratched his head as he pondered what to do. He had his tablet, which could play all sorts of apps. One of them was a music player that came with all sorts of tunes. Maybe he could find one that was a soft and soothing song, to let these other mice know that he meant no harm. He scrolled down the list and looked over the artwork of the various albums; honestly, he hadn't even listened to most of the tunes. But there was one particular album that looked like a flower lying on a field of grass. With a smile, Blaire played the track it was associated with, and-

“CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWL!!!”

A loud and bombastic track blasted out of the speakers, startling Blaire so badly that he squeaked and dropped the tablet. The tablet shook on the floor as a fast-paced drum solo blared out, followed by two different guitars and strange chanting. A light-show of red and black flashed from the screen in time with the drums.

Blaire grabbed his ears and pulled them down as he winced from the volume. He scrambled to hold the tablet in place with one foot while trying to stop the music with his toes. He just barely managed to turn the music off… just in time for two yellow eyes to glare at him from inside the cabinet door. A growling sound filled the air… and the next thing Blaire knew, he’d been knocked to the floor, and the big, muscular mouse was snarling down at him.

“Who the hell do you think you are?!” A female voice growled down at him.

Blaire found his arms forced out wide, while his legs were pinned down. The red mouse snarled as she looked him in the eyes and dug his talons into his wrists. Blaire writhed as he looked wordlessly up at her.

“Think you can just blast that racket to torment us?!” The red mouse continued her tirade. “You think it’s FUNNY to scare little mice half to death?!”

Blaire looked up at her with worry and confusion. He then heard little sniffling coming from inside the cabinet, before a little blue head poked its way out. Blaire could now see that the blue mouse was a young teenager with a partially-scratched left ear.

“My brother was trying to SLEEP, you jerkass!” The red mouse gnashed her teeth. “What do you have to say for yourself?!”

Blaire’s teeth involuntarily clattered. All he could think to do was lift his head and try to show the scar on his throat. But the red mouse didn’t notice or care, as she grabbed Blaire’s head and forced him to look her in the eyes again.

“Answer me, damnit!” The red mouse bellowed. “What’s your problem?!”

"Uhh…" Squeaked the little blue mouse as she nervously stepped out of the cabinet. He had on what little like a little makeshift hat that was too big for his head; it partially fell over his eyes. He also had on a little jacket with sleeves too long for his arms; he waved an arm in a sleeve to get the other mouse’s attention.

“Sis…?”

“Not now, Puck.” The red mouse looked back at him. “I’m dealing with this rude bastard.”

“But, Sis…” He tugged on her tunic and cautiously pointed out the kitchen door. Blaire and the red mouse followed the boy’s gaze upward. For Blaire, it was a sign to sigh in relief; he could hear Susan making her way down the stairs. But for the stranger, it was a sign to panic, grab Blaire and the blue mouse, and hurriedly hide away inside the cabinet quick as a flash.

Blaire could hear the red mouse’s heart beating like a drum… because he was tightly hugged against her chest with one arm. She tried not to panic as all three of them listened to the ground shaking as Susan drew closer to the kitchen.

“Blaire?” The cat asked aloud. There was a footfall, and the cat gasped. “His tablet’s on the floor…?”

Blaire could feel the red mouse’s heart beating frantically as she stayed still, while the cat drew closer. Blaire decided to take this moment to lift up an arm and knock three times on the cabinet door. The other two mice looked at him like he’d gone insane, while Susan meowed curiously. The red mouse dropped Blaire roughly onto the floor of the cabinet before taking off in a mad dash with the blue one to a deeper part of the interior…

…just as Susan opened the door. She gasped when she saw Blaire laying on his back. She crouched down and picked him up between two fingers to get him onto his feet.

“Blaire, what happened?” She asked worriedly before handing him his tablet. Blaire sighed as he took the device, and quickly got to work typing a response.

Blaire: It was a misunderstanding. Those two are hiding now.

He used a finger to point out where the other two had run off to hide. Susan gave another curious meow. She held up her own tablet, fidgeted with it, and then put it inside the cabinet. With the push of a button, a flashlight shined, illuminating the cabinet's interior. She and Blaire looked around at the pots and pans… until finally, they spotted a red tail twitching nervously behind the side of a larger pot.

"Uhh… hey in there," Susan called as calmly as she could. "Could you come out, please?"

The red mouse’s response was to quietly scurry deeper into hiding, despite the muffled protests of the blue one. Susan sighed, and carefully opened up the cabinet’s other door.

“I’m not gonna hurt either of you.” She said tenderly. “I promise; you’ll be safe and sound. I just want to talk to you… please?”

The mouse didn't move, making Susan frown. Blaire decided to take it upon himself to venture deeper into the cabinet to try and help. He slowly and calmly made his way over to the pots and even turned on his own flashlight setting on his tablet. He held it up, carefully made his way to the back wall, and soon spotted the red mouse crouched down and holding the blue one against her chest. She gave a furious growl at Blaire, who frowned. Blaire typed up a message and then held it up for the two other mice to read.

Blaire: She’s telling the truth. She’s a friend.

The red mouse looked at the message in confusion, while the blue one smiled. The teenager wiggled his way out of his sister’s grip and made to step forward. The red mouse balked and reached out to grab him, but the blue mouse skipped forward out of her reach.

“Puck, what are you doing?!” She whispered frantically.

“Wow…” The blue mouse lifted up his hat to look at the tablet. “What’s that? It looks cool.”

Blaire smiled; he thought it was pretty neat himself.

“Would you like to see a bigger one?” Susan asked; she’d crouched down again, and held up her own tablet.

“WOW!” The blue mouse said louder; he made a dash across the way to get a better look at the tablet, and then at Susan herself. “You’re a cat, right?”

“Uh-huh.” Susan nodded with a smile. “My name’s Susan.”

"Puck, get back here!" The red mouse screamed. She shoved Blaire against the wall and sprinted madly forward to wrap her arms around the blue mouse. She held him tightly, much to his annoyance, before stepping back and growling at Susan. "Don't you lay a finger on him!"

“Okay, okay…” Susan backed up a little. “I won’t touch your son.”

“He’s my brother.” The red mouse snapped.

“Oh, okay…” Susan blushed. “Sorry…”

During that time, Blaire had taken a look around at where the red mouse had been hiding a moment ago. He spotted something in a pile on the floor; a large bag containing random tools, and a smaller one with its end tied up. The smaller bag smelled like cherries, so Blaire picked it up and walked toward the red mouse. It was about that time when she noticed what Blaire was doing, so she turned and growled at him.

“Hey, put that back!” She hissed.

Blaire raised an eyebrow and showed the bag to Susan. He motioned with a finger that it came from the direction of the fridge. Susan then snorted and looked down at the red mouse with her own raised eyebrow.

“Is that mine?” The cat asked. “Did you two try swiping food from me?”

“Yes, Miss.” The blue mouse said innocently. The red mouse gasped and covered his mouth, but the message had already been received. The cat simply sighed and put her tablet down.

"I'm willing to forgive that, if you'll just be civil," Susan said calmly. “You’re not the first mice I’ve found sneaking into my home…” She motioned toward Blaire, who nodded yes. “And you’ll likely not be the last. So… would you like something fresher to eat, while we sit down and talk?”

The red mouse looked at her incredulously. This allowed the blue mouse to move her hand away and smile up at the cat.

“I know I’m starving.” He said with a wag of his tail. “Do you have any peanut butter? It’s my favorite.”

“You can have as much as you like.” Susan smiled as she held out her hand. “Just come here.”

“I’m not falling for that.” The red mouse hissed. “You just want to eat us.”

Blaire looked between Susan and the two other mice; he decided he needed to demonstrate that the cat was telling the truth. So, he walked past the others and made to sit down in Susan's hand. She smiled and lifted him up to her face, where she playfully nuzzled the top of his head. Blaire squeaked and hugged her muzzle, and then looked down at the other two mice. The blue one looked happy, while the red one was absolutely stunned with her jaw hanging open. It was as if the whole had turned upside-down. Her grip loosened, and the blue mouse slipped free to step forward toward the cat.

“I’m Puck!” He said with a thumb against his chest. “You said your name is… Susie, right?”

“Susan.” She corrected with a chuckle. The cat brought a hand down before the blue mouse. “It’s nice to meet you, Puck.”

The blue mouse sat in her hand and gave a cheerful squeak as he hugged her thumb. He then looked over at the red mouse and waved. “Come on, Sis! She’s nice and soft!”

The red mouse was still partially stunned. She took nervous steps forward and sat down beside her brother. Susan then lifted the two of them up and brought Blaire over, so she could cup all three of them in her hands.

“Let’s get some of that peanut butter… and maybe some crackers.” Susan smiled. “Then we can have a nice sit down and get to know each other better.”

“Sounds good to me!” Puck chirped. Blaire gave his agreement by giving a thumbs-up.

“Uhh…” The red mouse stammered. “Okay… I guess…”